Bullseye Read Online Free Page B

he broke off their engagement. He was sorry he’d come, and given an opportunity, he’d board the next plane to Atlanta in half a heartbeat.
    The female guard returned to the window with her purse and slid it, along with their drivers’ licenses, through the metal tray opening in the window. Karina snatched the purse and license, and left Mason to retrieve his own.
    “Thank you.”
    His voice and his wide smile toward the officer were overly polite, in her opinion. That irritated her even further.
    She managed to hold her tongue until they stepped outside into the bright sunshine. Then she snapped, “Don’t tell me what to do, Mason.”
    He looked surprised. “What are you talking about?”
    Her pointy heels stomped the pavement a little harder than she intended as she marched toward her car. “You shushed me in there.”
    His mouth opened to protest, but he stopped, nodded. “All right, I did. But you’ve got to remember that anything overheard during a visitation can be used in court.”
    “I know that.” She clamped her lips shut. Why was she being so foul-tempered? He really was only trying to help. She slowed her step a fraction and drew in a slow breath. “I do know that,” she said more calmly. “And I definitely don’t want to do anything that could hurt Alex. What I started to say is I don’t know why he told the mugger they didn’t have any money.”
    His eyebrows rose a fraction. “Did he have any?”
    She nodded. “Two hundred dollars. The detention center gave it to me with the rest of his stuff after he was brought here. If he’d just handed over the money, José might not be dead now.”
    They reached her car parked halfway across the parking lot. Mason stopped beside the passenger door while she rounded the front bumper toward the driver’s side. She pressed the unlock button on the keyless entry and heard the locks click open, but Mason made no move to get inside. Instead he watched her across the roof of the car, a measuring expression on his face.
    “What?” she asked. “Why are you looking like that?”
    “Karina, how truthful is Alex?” She drew a breath to jump to her brother’s defense. He was a good kid and he didn’t lie. But Mason stopped her with a raised hand. “I know what you’re going to say, and before you do, I want you to know he lied through almost that whole visit.”
    Hot anger surged. How dare he waltz in here after being gone for so long and accuse her brother of dishonesty? “He did not!”
    A long-suffering expression settled over Mason’s features. “Karina, if you’re going to argue with every word I say, why did you call me for help?”
    “Well, maybe I shouldn’t have,” she fired back.
    “Fine.” A touch of temper in his voice gave the word volume. “Take me back to the airport right now and I’ll go home.”
    His glare across the roof of the car served to clear her head. Though part of her wanted nothing more than to drive him straight back to the airport, a bigger part was terrified to see him go. Irritating though he might be, Mason was the only person she knew who could help clear Alex of this accusation. After all, he had been in nearly the same situation a few years ago.
    That thought doused the fires of her anger completely. Returning to Albuquerque must be really hard for Mason. Not only had his wife been murdered after only a few months of marriage, but he’d been accused of the crime. Just driving through the city must stir up some horribly painful memories. No wonder he was so bad tempered.
    With an effort, she softened her voice. “I’m sorry.” She had to force the words out, but at least she said them. “I don’t want you to leave. But I do need you to believe that Alex didn’t kill José.”
    Her words had the desired effect. The hard expression softened, and when he spoke the sharp edge in his voice had dulled. “I don’t think he did. But I’ve studied interrogation techniques, and his body language gave him away